Knowledge distribution in immigrant entrepreneurship: a qualitative study of immigrant entrepreneurs in Malaysia

Mohamad Rohieszan Ramdan

QR Code Link :
Type :	article
Subject :	H Social Sciences (General)
ISSN :	1738-3110
Main Author :	Mohamad Rohieszan Ramdan
Title :	Knowledge distribution in immigrant entrepreneurship: a qualitative study of immigrant entrepreneurs in Malaysia

Place of Production :	Tanjung Malim
Publisher :	Fakulti Pengurusan dan Ekonomi
Year of Publication :	2023
Notes :	Journal of Distribution Science
Corporate Name :	Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
HTTP Link :	Click to view web link

Abstract : Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris

Purpose: This study intends to explore the knowledge distribution in immigrant entrepreneurship in a host country Malaysia. In Malaysia, most immigrants are workers who later started their own businesses. They have a higher tendency to engage in entrepreneurial activities thus knowledge distribution from previous employment is necessary. Research design, data and methodology: This qualitative study using in-depth interview approach was carried out with five immigrant entrepreneurs from Bangladesh conducting business in Malaysia. The data were gathered and analysed using thematic analysis facilitated by ATLAS.ti software. Results: The findings provide useful insights on the significance of knowledge obtained during immigrant entrepreneurs former employment in the host country, enabling them to identify the needed resources quickly to launch a successful business in a host country. Conclusions: This study contributes to the Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship specifically in the context of immigrant entrepreneurship who have former employment in the same business sector and a proposition is developed. For practicality, the findings provide some insights for immigrants who want to start businesses in the host country which allow them to identify and exploit entrepreneurial opportunities due to knowledge distribution at their former employment in the host country later facilitates successful business establishment there. Copyright: The Author(s)

References

Abd Hamid, H., O’Kane, C., & Everett, A. M. (2019). Conforming to the host country versus being distinct to our home countries: ethnic migrant entrepreneurs’ identity work in cross-cultural settings. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, 25(5), 919–935.

Acs, Z. J. (2010). High-impact entrepreneurship. Handbook of entrepreneurship research: An interdisciplinary survey and introduction, 165-182. New York, NY: Springer.

Aliaga-Isla, R., & Rialp, A. (2013). Systematic review of immigrant entrepreneurship literature: previous findings and ways forward. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 25(9–10), 819–844.

Alsos, G. A., & Kaikkonen, V. (2004). Opportunity recognition and prior knowledge: a study of experienced entrepreneurs. In 13th Nordic Conference on Small Business Research. pp. 301–314. Tromso, Norway.

Anderson, B., & Blinder, S. (2015). Who counts as a migrant? Definitions and their consequences. Migration Observatory Briefing, COMPAS. UK.

Ardichvili, A., Cardozo, R. N., & Ray, S. (2003). A theory of entrepreneurial opportunity identification and development. Journal of Business Venturing, 18(1), 105–123.

Audretsch, D. B., & Keilbach, M. (2008). The theory of knowledge spillover entrepreneurship. Journal of Management studies, 44(7), 1242-1254.

Audretsch, D. B., & Lehmann, E. E. (2022). The knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship. In Elgar Encyclopedia on the Economics of Knowledge and Innovation (pp. 317-324). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Barrett, R., & Vershinina, N. (2017). Intersectionality of ethnic and entrepreneurial identities: a study of post-war Polish entrepreneurs in an English city. Journal of Small Business Management, 55(3), 430–443.

Baycan-Levent, T., & Nijkamp, P. (2009). Characteristics of migrant entrepreneurship in Europe. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 21(4), 375–397

Bettin, G., Bianchi, P., Nicolli, F., Ramaciotti, L., & Rizzo, U. (2019). Migration, ethnic concentration and firm entry: evidence from Italian regions. Regional Studies, 53(1), 55-66.

Bhagavatula, S., Elfring, T., Tilburg, A. V., & Van De Bunt, G. G. (2010). How social and human capital influence opportunity recognition and resource mobilization in India’s handloom industry. Journal of Business Venturing, 25(3), 245–260.

Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2007). Business research strategies. Business research methods. USA: Oxford University Press. Carlsson, B., Braunerhjelm, P., McKelvey, M., Olofsson, C.,

Persson, L., & Ylinenpää, H. (2013). The evolving domain of entrepreneurship research. Small business economics, 41(4), 913-930.

Chavan, M., & Taksa, L. (2017). Shifts in intergenerational mobility of Indian immigrant entrepreneurs. International Migration, 55(1), 99–127.

Chowdhury, J. S. (2023). Voice and Photovoice of the Bangladeshi Migrant Workers in Malaysia: An Ethnography of the 3rd Space With Reciprocity. In Handbook of Research on Implications of Sustainable Development in Higher Education (pp. 314-336). IGI Global.

Crowley, C., Harré, R., & Tagg, C. (2002). Qualitative research and computing: methodological issues and practices in using QSR NVivo and NUD* IST. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 5(3), 193–197.

Denzin, N. K. (1978). Sociological Methods: A sourcebook. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Dheer, R. J. S. (2018). Entrepreneurship by immigrants: a review of existing literature and directions for future research. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 14, 555-614.

Duan, C., Sandhu, K., & Kotey, B. (2021). Understanding Immigrant Entrepreneurship: A Home-Country Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Perspective. New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, 24(1), 2-20.

Fairlie, R. W., & Lofstrom, M. 2015. Immigration and Entrepreneurship. Handbook of 229. Gilbert, B. A., McDougall, P. P., & Audretsch, D. B. (2006). New Venture Growth: A Review and Extension. Journal of Management, 32(6), 926-950.

Gill, S.L. (2020). Qualitative Sampling Methods. Journal of Human Lactation, 36(4), 579–581.

Griffin‐EL, E. W., & Olabisi, J. (2018). Breaking boundaries: Exploring The Process of Intersective Market Activity of Immigrant Entrepreneurship in The Context of High Economic Inequality. Journal of Management Studies, 55(3), 457-485.

Halai, N. (2007). Making Use of Bilingual Interview Data: Some Experiences from the Field. The Qualitative Report, 12(3), 344–355.

Hallam, C. R. A., & Zanella, G. (2017). Informal Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship, 26(2), 163–175.

Hesse-Biber, S. N., & Leavy, P. (2006). Emergent Methods in Social Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Hornung, E. (2014). Immigration and the diffusion of technology: The Huguenot Diaspora in Prussia. American Economic Review, 104(1), 84-122.

Hugo, G. (2011). Migration and Development in Malaysia: An Emigration perspective. Asian Population Studies, 7(3), 219–241.

Jamaludin, N. A., Senik, Z. C., Abd Hamid, H., & Muhamad, N. S. A. (2020). Opportunity Recognition in Immigrant Entrepreneurship Through Social Capital and Geographical Proximity: A Conceptual Framework. Geografia, 16(3), 94-107

Kalnins, A., & Chung, W. (2006). Social Capital, Geography, And Survival: Gujarati Immigrant Entrepreneurs In The U.S. Lodging Industry. Management Science, 52(2), 233-247.

Kirzner, I. M. (1978). Competition and Entrepreneurship. Kok, P. (1999). The Definition of Migration and Its Application: Making Sense of Recent South African Census and Survey Data. South African Journal of Demography, 7(1), 19-30.

Kozhakhmet, S., & Nurgabdeshov, A. (2022). Knowledge Acquisition of Chinese Expatriates: Managing Chinese MNEs in Kazakhstan. Journal of International Management, 28(2), 100919.

Krueger, N. F. (1993). The Impact of Prior Entrepreneurial Exposure on Perceptions of New Venture Feasibility and Desirability. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 18(1), 5–21.

Lattacher, W., Gregori, P., Holzmann, P., & Schwarz, E. J. (2021). Knowledge Spillover in Entrepreneurial Emergence: A Learning Perspective. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 166, 120660.

Lazar, M., Miron-Spektor, E., Agarwal, R., Erez, M., Goldfarb, B., & Chen, G. (2020). Entrepreneurial Team Formation. Academy of Management Annals, 14(1), 29-59.

Lechner, C., Kirschenhofer, F., & Dowling, M. (2016). The Influence of Social Capital on Opportunity Emergence and Exploitation: A Comparison of Portfolio and Serial Entrepreneurs. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 5(1), 1-23.

Li, C., Isidor, R., Dau, L. A., & Kabst, R. (2018). The More the Merrier? Immigrant Share and Entrepreneurial Activities. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 42(5), 698-733.

Lim, J. H. (2011). Qualitative methods in adult development and learning: Theoretical traditions, current practices, and emerging horizons. In Hoare, C. (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Reciprocal Adult Development and Learning. (2nd ed.). (pp. 39–60). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Macpherson, A., & Holt, R. (2007). Knowledge, Learning and Small Firm Growth: A Systematic Review of the Evidence. Research Policy, 36(2), 172-192

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation. (4th ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook. (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

This material may be protected under Copyright Act which governs the making of photocopies or reproductions of copyrighted materials.
You may use the digitized material for private study, scholarship, or research.

Back to previous page